I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of breathing aids, and, more particularly to a banded nasal dilator apparatus, system and method.
II. Description of the Related Art.
Many people suffer from a variety of breathing problems from restricted nasal passages that can be temporarily relieved by mechanical devices. Such breathing problems are typically experienced by people with deviated septa, colds, congestion and by those people who snore. The temporary mechanical relief can be obtained by wearing a nose mounted dilator. These nose mounted dilators typically include a resilient bar having an adhesive portion on either end. The adhesive portion is exposed and attached to skin on either side of the nose, which bends the bar. Since the bar is resilient it attempts to spring back into a straightened state, which in turn pulls on the nose skin. This pulling helps to open the nasal (nostril) passages thereby providing breathing relief to the user. However, the adhesive on these nose mounted dilators tends to give out in short periods of time, thereby releasing the bar from its secured location on the nose. The adhesive tends to give out due to losing sticking power from oils on the nose. Furthermore, since the bar is resilient, it constantly pulls on the adhesive in a perpendicular or normally directed force away from the skin. In addition, those people who use the nose mounted dilators during exercise tend to lose the dilators faster due to profuse sweating.